Our Affiliated Site: Hogar Santa Julia in San Miguel de Allende, México

 

facts about Hogar Santa Julia:

  • Ages served: Girls of all ages from pre-kindergarten to secondary school.
  • Facility description: Two dormitories house the younger and older girls separately. The Home also includes classrooms for tutoring, a library, computer lab, space for art and psychological support, and a modern dining hall and kitchen.
  • Education: The girls attend local public schools, where core academic subjects are taught. The Sisters who run the home also provide other skills in such areas as embroidery, sewing, cooking, singing, and music.
  • Academic year: School typically begins in mid-August and students enjoy summer vacation for two months starting in June. There is also a two-week winter break in December.
  • Nutrition and health: The Home provides nutritious meals each day, and the girls’ health is closely monitored. Medical and psychological care is provided as needed.

Today, Mexico is the world’s tenth most populous nation — and largest Spanish-speaking country by population — with a growing, diversified economy and a relatively stable democratic government. However, despite the country’s wealth of culture, history, natural resources and beauty, many natives and immigrants are plagued by impoverished living conditions. Crime and murder rates in the country are high, and corruption and drug cartel activity are constant sources of concern despite efforts to eliminate them.

The beautiful colonial city of San Miguel de Allende, though a favorite haunt of tourists and artists, is no exception to these maladies. Indeed, its bohemian façade conceals the poverty in which many of its residents live. To help address these issues, Hogar Santa Julia was founded in 1954 as a home for orphaned and impoverished girls. Today, thanks to the support the Home receives from its local and international donors, the Sisters who run Santa Julia are able to support girls full-time at the Home, as well as offer a refuge for their siblings affected by the tragic realities of poverty. Santa Julia offers a loving environment in which young children are given the opportunity to rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances from which they come.